Container



May 15, 1928. 1,669,881

w. H. RICHMAN CONTAINER Filed April' 26, 19 23 Patented May' 15, 1928.

UNITED STATES WALTER H. RICHHAN, 01' PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CONTAINER.

Application filed April 26, 1823. Serial Io. 634,853.

My invention is particularly applicable to sheet metal cans used in the transportation and storage of dairy products. Such cans are used by wholesalers to deliver milk,

5 cream, ice-cream, frozen eustards etc., to retailers, and are used by the latter to hold such products while they are being dispensed; the emptied cans being thereafter returned to the wholesalers to be refilled and again distributed. Consequently, such cans must be extremely durable to withstand the rough handling and stresses and wear to which they are inevitably subjected. Moreover, as such containers are retained in salt 16 ice water to preserve their contents, their bodies must be permanently liquid tight and, to prevent contamination of their contents, they must be adapted to be substantially hermetically sealed by closures which can be 0 instantly opened and shut, to facilitate dispensation of their contents. Furthermore, such containers should not have any internal corners or recesses or joints which cannot be readily cleaned of every vestige of their 2 contents, by mechanical means, for such products readily and rapidly decompose.

Therefore, the object and effect of my invention is to provide containers having the characteristics above contemplated. Howto ever, it is to be understood that .I do not desire to limit my invention to such specific use. i

My invention includes the various novel features of construction, arrangement and procedure hereinafter specified.

Fig. I is an elevation, partly in section,

showing a container embodying my invention and adapted for holding ice-cream and similar dairy products.

Fig. II is a half vertical sectional view of a container embodying my invention in the form of a milk can.

Fig. III is a fragmentai y vertical radial sectional view of the bottom of a container,

5 showing a modified form of my invention.

Referring to the form of my invention shown in Fig. I; the can body 52 has the removable lid closure 2, conveniently provided with the rigid handle 3; having its on opposite ends 4 welded to the top of said closure 2. Said cam body 52 is conveniently formed of primarily flat sheet metal, preferably low carbon steel, by first bending such sheet to cylindrical form and then unit- 56 ing its longitudinal abutting edges 6 conveniently by an electrical or gas welding operation. However, I prefer to reinforce said can body at its upper ed e and provide a head 7 as a seat for said c osure 2, by twice folding the edge of the metal backward upon 60 itself, to the configuration indicated in Fig.

I before the metal is bent to cylindrical form, as above described.

A chime may be formed of metal distinct from that of the bottom closure; for instance, in the form of my invention shown in Fig. I; the cylindrical can body 52 is inwardly converged at its lower edge, conveniently by a rotary spinning operation, to.

a cylindrical zone 53 of less internal diameter, to afford an externally recessed cylindrical seat 54 for the separate reinforcing chime band 56; so that the latter does not project upon the can to a larger diameter than its body 52. However, before said band is applied; I find it convenient to provide said can body 52 with the outwardly convexly curved bottom 57, which is conveniently formed by pressing a circular piece of primarily plane sheet metal to form a cylindri- 30 cal flange 58 thereon, of the same diameter as the reduced portion 53 of said can body 52. Said body 52 and its bottom plate 57 being held in coaxial relation, may be integrally united at the junction of said cylindrical edge 53 of the body 52 and the cylindrical flange 58 of said bottom 57, by a welding operation, preferably performed simultaneously with a rolling operation which smooths the joint while it is hot, as above described.

As shown in Fig. I; said band 56 has its. perimetral cylindrical portion of the same outside diameter as said can body 52 and is bent upon itself to form the tubular toric base bead ring 60, a cylindrical zone 61, and an inwardly projecting annular bottom supporting flange 62. Said flange 62 is swaged and condensed to form a knife edge 63 at its inner circumference to stiffen said edge and closely fit said bottom plate 57 of the can body, without any offset at said edge which would interfere with cleaning the bottom of the container. Said tubular base ring 60 reinforces the bottom edge of said band 56 so as to prevent distortion thereof by the rough usage to which such containers are subjected, but it may be further stifi'ened by inclusion of a solid ring 65.

Such a band 56 may be formed of a primarily plane strip of sheet metal, first bent to the cross sectional configuration shown in Fi I, and then curled to cylindrical form and united at its abutting edges, by an electric or other welding operation. However, such bands may be also formed by pressing a circular annular plane piece of metal to the cross sectional configuration shown. The former method of manufacture is preferable as to economy of material; but the latter method is preferable as to economy of time, in that such pressing operation avoids the necessity for the welding operation required by said first method.

In the form of my invention shown in Fig. I: the bottom closure flange 58 is made so shallow that the joint between it and the bottom edge 53 of the can body 52 is covered, concealed and reinforced by said band 56. Although I prefer that construction and arrangement for an ice-cream container. such as shown in Fig. I, which has means for rigidly reinforcing its body portion near the top thereof, as described; I find it convenient to utilize the joint between the bottom and the body portion of a container, made in accordance with my invention, to reinforce the body of a milk can at its junction with its breast portion leading to its neck; for the reason that such region of a milk can is subjected to stresses which tend to distort it unless it is reinforced.

Therefore, I have shown in Fig. II a milk can having its bottom portion 67 in unitary relation with its body portion 68; both being conveniently formed by a pressing operation, from a primarily plane sheet of metal. Said body portion 68 is united at its upper edge 69 with the bottom edge 70 of the breast portion 71 of the container, conveniently by an electrical welding operation, as above described. However, I prefer to also provide that joint with an external reinforcing band 72 which may be united with the container members 68 and 71 by the same or a second welding operation. As indicated; said container shown in Fig. II may have the reduced neck 73 and flaring mouth 74.

The provision of a bottom reinforcing band 56 which does not project beyond the diameter of the can body 52 is particularly advantageous in ice cream cans, because it is customary to pack such containers in ice and salt water within wooden tubs which are only a few inches larger in diameter than the outside diameters of such containers, and it is necessary to remove such containers from their ice paekings in the vehicles in which they are transported for delivery to customers, and the pieces of ice in which they are packed melt to the precise configuration of the containers, so as to fit against the same so tightly that if there is the slightest projection at the bottom of the container, it catches upon the ice and spills the latter upon the floor of the vehicle, when the operator endeavors to remove the container from the tub.

However, I have shown in Fig. III, a bottom band 76 which is of smaller outside diameter than the diameter of the can body 77, but may be formed, by substantially the same methods as above described, so as to have the outwardly turned flange 78 adapted to be rigidly connected with the bottom 79 of the can by a welding operation. Each of said chime bands may be spot welded to the can bodies, as indicated at 80.

As aforesaid, I prefer to weld all my container joints for the reason that they may then be coated with pure tin, and repeatedly retinned; whereas, any solder included in such containers fuses off in the molten tin bath and renders the latter unfit for coating because of the mixture therewith of the different metallic elements of the solder. However, it is obvious that containers, otherwise as described, may have soldered or riveted joints.

Therefore, I do not desire to limit myself to the precise details of construction and arrangement or method of procedure herein set forth, as it is obvious that various modifications may be made therein, without departing from the essential features of my invention, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a container, the combination with a cylindrical tubular body having its bottom edge inwardly converged to a cylindrical zone of less internal diameter than its top edge and forming an external seat for a chime band; of an outwardly convexly curved bottom plate for said body, having its circumferential edge upturned in 9. cylindrical flange, of the same diameter as the bottom edge of said body and welded thereto; a reinforcing chime band, having a cylindrical portion fitted in said seat, and around said flange, and bent inwardly upon itself to form a tubular toric base ring, an upwardly extending inner cylindrical zone, and an inwardly projecting annular flange, supporting said bottom plate and welded thereto; said flange having its inner circumference condensed, to a knife ed e, and thus stiffened; and a solid ring in sai tubular ring.

2. Ina container, the combination with a cylindrical tubular body having its bottom edge inwardly converged to a zone of less internal diameter than its top edge and forming an external seat for a chime band; I

of a bottom plate for said body, having its circumferential edge upturned in a flange, of the same diameter as the bottom edge of said body and welded thereto; a reinforcin chime band, having a portion fitted in said seat. and around said flange, and bent inwardly upon itself to form a tubular toric base rin an upwardly extending .inner zone, an an inwardly projecting annular flan e, having an inner condensed and stiffene knife edge, supporting said bottom plate and welded thereto.

3. In a container, the combination with a cylindrical tubular body having its bottom edge inwardly converged to a zone of less internal diameter than its top edge and forming an externalseat for a chime band;

of a bottom plate for said body, having itscircumferential edge upturned in a flange, of

' the same diameter as the bottom edge of said body and joined thereto, by fused metal; a reinforcing chime band, having a portion fitted in said seat, and around said flange, and bent inwardly upon itself to form a 'tubular toric base ring, an upwardly extending inner zone, and an inwardly projecting annular flange, supporting said bottom plate and joined thereto, by fused metal.

4. In a container, the combination with a cylindrical tubular body having its bottom edge inwardly converged to a cylindrical zone of less internal diameter than its top edge; of a bottom plate for said body, havin its circumferential edge upturned in a cylindrical flange, of the same diameter as the bottom ed of said body and united therewith; an a reinforcing chime band, encirclin said flange, and bent inwardly upon itse f to form a tubular toric base ring, an upwardly extending inner zone, and an inwardly projecting annular flange, supporting said bottom plate and welded thereto.

5. In a container, the combination with a tubular body having its bottom edge inwardly converged to a zone of less internal diameter than its top edge; of an outwardly convexly curved bottom plate for said body, having its circumferentialedge upturned in a cylindrical flange, of the same diameter as the bottom edge of said .bodv and welded thereto; and a reinforcing chime band, encircling said flange, and bent inwardly upon itself to form a tubular toric base ring, supporting said bottom plate and welded thereto.

6. In a container, the combination with a tubular body having its bottom edge inzone; of an outwardly convexly curved bottom plate for said body, having its circumferential edge upturned in a cylindrical flange, of the same. diameter as the bottom edge of said body and welded thereto; and a reinforcing chime band, havin a cylindrical portion around said flange, an bent inward- 1y upon itself to form a tubular toric base ring, an upwardly extending inner cylindrical zone, and an inwardly projecting annular flange, supporting said bottom plate and welded thereto.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Philadelphia, Pennsyl vania, this twenty-third day of April, 1923.

WALTER H. 310mm. 

